Me, seven years later: you know what, let's gx fic, granted I didn't start writing fic till 2010 but the point stands

Can't believe I watched GX when I was in like grade 6 and now I'm a second year in uni lmao

(Title may be subject to change)

What We Are

The birth of Haou and Judai Yuki is a day that arrives with both equal amounts of apprehension and joy from all party's involved.

From the very beginning, scans had shown two small forms, but only ever one heartbeat. The doctors hadn't been sure what to make of it, it was rare but sometimes only one twin would make it to the final stage, or the other would be absorbed by the stronger twin. There was, however, no explanation as to why no matter how hard they listened only one heartbeat could be heard yet both seemed to grow just fine otherwise.

Still, it is a sigh of relief when two baby boys arrive into the world alive and well.

-o-

Haou has gone through many reincarnations in his life, so many they all start to blur, not many amount to enough to be memorable in any kind of way. So many are just the same mundane life that even while living them he would confuse them with others. He has been men, women, neither, and all else there has been –some, though, with more awareness of their (his) powers than others. Those lifetimes were surely more interesting, and it was with morbid glee that he watched those that could use them but not understand panic and worry. Not even being a twin is something new to him, but for some reason this, the identical form next to him, seems to call out to him in a way nothing else ever has in all these years. As if something in him is reaching out towards the other with all its might.

It takes him a moment to place the feeling, to realize that what he feels is his own soul vying for his attention. He doesn't know what has gone wrong in this incarnation of his being, but somehow his soul has been split in two, the other half lying within his supposed brother –within what is basically his own self really.

He is not sure what it means, if it does mean anything at all.

-o-

It is, odd.

To say the least.

Despite his soul having existed within so many people throughout time, very rarely does his will truly get expressed through them. They were their own people as much as they were he and they hardly noticed the other presence that dwelled within them. But this, this body is his own and no one else's, he is the sole presence that lives here; despite the fact he is incomplete this is the most he has been himself in ages.

He wonders if it is simply a coincidence that this body is so alike to his original one so many lifetime's ago, or if this is on purpose, if this his 'true' reincarnation. Something is different about this lifetime, something is going to happen, and there is too much already happening for it truly just be a coincidence.

Haou does not believe in fate, or at least not that it controls him for he controls it, but he is willing to believe that it has played some kind of hand in whatever has happened here. And he will figure it out, whatever it is.

-o-

His other half, his twin, is not what he expects of someone who carries the other half his soul. He is not sure what he expects, given that his other reincarnations have never truly been him – though some did reflect him more truly than others had – but there is still something too inherently bright about him considering what they are. Haou isn't sure how to comprehend it, his being is as much of the darkness as his, the powers of gentle darkness just as strong if not a bit less tame, but he still shines in some weird way Haou just cannot describe.

He thinks that, if they are meant to be two halves of a whole, than Haou is inclined to say that he is the dark and his other is the light.

Still, all that aside, he is… fond of his lighter half, though perhaps it is more accurate to say that he feels in a sense almost responsible for him. They are still young, four or five he thinks but he doesn't really care to pay attention to that –it's annoying and disconcerting to know so much yet be stuck in a body so small – that aside, they are young and even so they are constantly left alone without any kind of supervision on occasion.

He has experienced various types of parents, some distinctly worse than others, but there is something oddly cutting about the fact these ones are not bad so much as they simply do not seem to care. Who leaves children this young alone when it is not an absolute necessity? He doesn't exactly care, but it does however bother him how it clearly upsets his other half.

He's not sure why both of them choose to constantly be away at work, especially when it makes their child, just one, not him, so sad. It bothers him more than he would like to admit when the other's eyes dim at another night they don't come home, and another morning of rotating babysitter's.

As strange as this entire situation is he is almost inclined to say he's happy it ended up happening. The thought of his other half having to grow up alone through all this is a more upsetting thought than he is willing to admit. As much as he does not want to admit it, he fears he is growing quite attached.

"Haou-nii!" He blinks, eyes opening to see the subject of his musings standing before him. A smile comes to his face unbidden at the sight of the other's genuine excitement and joy.

"What is it Judai?" If there is one good thing that can be said of being practically alone most of the time, is that he is free to speak however he wishes. Judai doesn't know the difference, and Haou has no desire to dumb down his speech just because a child his age shouldn't be able to speak such a way. It does not change the way his voice sounds unfortunately, lifetimes of knowledge mean nothing against the body's natural progression.

"I drew!" Judai exclaims, both hands surrounding his to pull him up from his seated position. "Come!" He continues tugging him forward, he allows the other to drag him, idly thinking how Judai is probably the only person that he'd allow to handle him this way.

"Look it's you, Haou-nii." He says a short while later, letting go of Haou's hand momentarily to grab a piece a paper and show it to him.

Haou is not a kind individual, so he is not surprised that his first thought is that this is well, not a good picture, but it's not as if he's expecting a masterpiece from a child in the first place. It's a, not quite stick figure, drawing of what he guesses is supposed to be him.

"Why did you give me a crown, Judai?" From what he's been able to discern Judai doesn't have any of Haou's memories, yet moments like these make him doubt.

"You're a king!" Judai replies and then does some motion that he thinks should mean something to him, or at the very least means something to Judai, "the bestest one ever." He nods, because for all moments like these Judai shows no real recognition of who they used to be.

"You like it?" He inclines his head instead of any vocal kind of confirmation, though Judai's face brightens just the same.

Yes, he has indeed grown quite fond of his sweet younger brother.

As someone who is currently in a child development class and spent an entire section on language/speech development in her anthro class last year the fact that I literally could not remember what children talk like at around age 4 pains me, I remember general ideas of language development but not the ages when it happens rip

This was originally supposed to be longer but that seemed like a nice cut-off point, the rest will all just go in the subsequent chapter I guess. That said, though it may it seem like it this isn't exactly a chapter story. As much as I would love to do that I can't actually write duels (I don't get the game all to well besides obvious basics! I space out during duels and when I was younger playing with my brother usually consisted of me summoning monsters that needed sacrifices or to be fused w/o actually doing that so like to comprehend dueling well enough to write it is beyond current me) so... it would be kind of hard to write ya know, a complete au when a major part of the story would just never be written aside from beginnings and conclusions.

This will be more like connected one-shots within the same universe, though until we reach duel academy I guess this will kind of read like a chapter story

(I just really like Haou and Judai and fanfic allows me to do w.e I want canon be damned, truly a marvelous next thing)

Till next time!